Improvement in buttons



UNITED STATES PATENTv OFFICE.

W. H. REED, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN BUTTONS.

Specilication forming part of Letters Patent No. 48,095, dated June 6, 1865.

To all whom it may concern,

Be it known that I, WILLOUGIIBY H. REED, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented an Improvement in Buttons; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates to that class'of buttons which are secured to fabrics by means of metal rivets; and my improvement consists in a button with a central opening countersunk at the under side of the button, so that the shank of the rivet may be readily introduced into the said opening, and so that when so 'introduced the head of the rivet may be brought close to the button, and not project beyond the cloth and abrade the clothes of the wearer.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will now proceed to describe the manner of carrying the same into edect.

On reference to the accompanying drawings, which form' a part of this specication, Figure l is a sectional view of my improved button, and of the rivet for securing the same to a fabric; Fig. 2, an inverted plan view of the button; and Fig. 3, a sectional view, showing the button as secured to the fabric.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views. I

A is a lnetal button, on the under side of which Bis the usual projection or shank, a, and` in the center of which is an opening, @,adapted for the reception of the shank of the rivet B. The head b of the rivet B is inclined from the edge toward the shank, as shown in the drawing, for a purpose described hereinafter. Round the edge ofthe opening e, on the upper side of the button, `is a ridge or lip, i, similar to that on the button for which Letters Patent of the United States were granted to me on the 15th day of November, 1864, the opening e on the under side of the button being countersunk, so as to present an inclined edge, vl, corresponding to the inclined head b of the rivet. The shank of the rivet is passed through the fabric in any suitable manner, and the button is brought over and onto the end of the shank projecting above the cloth, the inclined edge t" of the opening e guiding the button onto the end of the rivet without the exercise of more than ordinary care on the part of the attendant. The button is now securely fastened by spreading the end of the shank over the face of the button and over the ridge z'.

tionable, as the rivet, if moved to the slightest Y extent from its position by the jarring of the machinery or otherwise, is crushed beneath the button on the descent of the lat-ter.

It will be apparent that by enlarging orcountersinking the opening at the under side of the button, as above described, the rivet will, if slightly misplaced, be readily guided into the opening, the delays and. accidents above alluded to being thus avoided.

A button of the character described is especially adapted for use in connection with a rivet of the construction shown in Fig. l, as the fabric, instead of being packed between the end of the hub a and the rivet, is pressed between the inclined edge t" of the opening and the inclined head of the rivet, the latter being thus sunk below the level of the fabric, so that it cannot bear against and abrade the clothes of the wearer.

Although the opening c may be enlarged in any suitable manner, I prefer to countersink it by punching the button (in forming the opening e) from the under side, as by this means themetal is not only sunk round the opening at the point where the punch is introduced, but it is also raised round the opening at the top ofthe button, the opening e, countersunk at the under side of the button,

and the ridge i being thus formed at one operation. p

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The button A, with its opening e countersunk on the under side of the button, substantially as and for the purpose descrihed.`

In testimony whereof Ihave signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES E. Fosfrnn, JOHN WHITE. 

